1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-capturing apparatus for putting practice and a training putter having an image-capturing apparatus. Particularly, the present invention relates to deviation correction between a direction of a hole (also referred to as a cup) and a direction of a putter face and to display the distance, the direction, and the inclination to the hole.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in relation to a golf training putter, mounting an LED or a laser light source on a head has been proposed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H06-182013 (Patent Document 1) discloses a means for directing laser light from a laser light source mounted on a head to a target. This is contrived so as to be detachable and attachable with respect to the head.
An outline of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H08-196674 (Patent Document 2) can also be regarded as the same proposal as that by Patent Document 1 other than that a laser light source is provided in a shaft at a position which is the closest to a head.
In addition, a putter manufactured by Infinics-Japan Co., Ltd has been displayed at an exhibition in a golf show (brochure produced by Infinics-Japan Co., Ltd., Non-Patent Document 1), which was a putter with a gyroscope and was disadvantageous in that it was not possible to know the distance up to a hole and the direction to the hole while it was possible to know the swing locus and the impact position.
However, they have the following disadvantages. As external equipment is out of the question, the idea of attaching to the putter would at first glance seem good; however, the undulation is intentionally created in the green, and it is generally difficult to view the hole from a position (height) near a putter head. The view point of a player and the view point from the head and the vicinity of the head are completely different.
In addition, there is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to see laser light in daytime. Moreover, there is a disadvantage in that a component for laser light further bothers the player as the component is located at a further position from a grip and a closer position from the head due to the weight thereof. In addition, even a putter is used for a strong shot in some cases and receives strong impact, and components are easily broken. The head portion is easily contaminated with soil and grass.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2008-104501 (Patent Document 3), attempt to make it possible to microscopically view how a ball is hit by providing a camera at least at the head has been proposed.
In the proposal in Patent Document 3, how to hit a ball into the hole, namely “the future” is not included, and “the past” is displayed to be microscopically viewed. Moreover, providing a plurality of cameras at the head to enhance information accuracy of an image is also described. This is also about an image in the past and does not give guidance “for the future” (the direction of the face to be set for a shot).
Furthermore, since the camera is provided at the head, there is a disadvantage in that the weight of the head is increased, feeling at the time of hitting a ball is changed, and directional accuracy is also degraded due to torsion. There is a defect in that the weight of the camera has more influence as the camera is located at a position farther from the grip portion. The field of view of the camera is narrow at the head position which is the closest to the ground, and only limited information is obtained. Moreover, a camera lens is easily contaminated.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H06-105940 (Patent Document 4), external equipment instead of a club (putter) has been contrived in order to determine the strength and direction of a shot, and further, the equipment is complicated and large-scale equipment with which a robot is made to hit a ball for correction based on comparison with a person who practices. This external equipment is disadvantageous in that the equipment is fixed type equipment and requires massive numbers of devices, and the camera is just a part of the external equipment. That is, although there is no device to be provided in the putter, only the way to hit a ball corresponding to specific external equipment can be taught.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H11-244441 (Patent Document 5) also proposes a putter training machine, which is a proposal of external equipment on the assumption that it is possible to correct bad habits in a shot by placing an external cameral in addition to an artificial slope and viewing an after-the-fact ball locus image.
In addition, in experiments with the use of a commercially available laser pointer, it has been determined to be impractical since locus of light which irradiates the grass and the hole cannot be seen due to its excessive low position.